I agree that each system has its place, but I'd like to see a decision
to use one system, whichever it is.  Ever work on a Ford Mustang?
You need both US and metric tools.  BTW, the metric bolts are
not just on the foreign-outsourced parts.

Cheers.


----- Original Message -----
From: "gacrowell" <gacrowell@MICRON.COM>
To: <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2002 2:15 PM
Subject: Re: [OT]: US and Metric System (was: Making PCBs...)


> Likewise, thousandths of an inch are simply convenient to work in.  Its
easy
> to work in 'whole' thousandths, i.e., mils.  It works well for mechanical
> tolerances, and for pcb work.  Just about the only time you have to go to
> decimal fractions of a mil is when you're trying to match some metric
> equivalent.
>
> GC
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sean H. Breheny [mailto:shb7@CORNELL.EDU]
> Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2002 1:07 PM
> To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject: Re: [OT]: US and Metric System (was: Making PCBs...)
>
> One of the reasons why I use both systems is that I find a foot to be a
> very convenient measure for everyday applications. For example, as I look
> around me in the room, most objects that I might handle are approximately
1
> foot in largest dimension, like books, the phone, an umbrella, sheets of
> paper, etc. A meter is just a little too big for typical objects.
>
> Likewise, a centimeter is just a little too small. I can say a pen is
about
> 6 inches long, rather than having to say 15 centimeters. For objects that
> fit in your hand, but aren't very small, the dimension in inches would be
> in the single digits, whereas the dimension in centimeters would span the
> range from the single digits up to two digits.
>
> I think this comes from the fact (AFAIK) that the English or imperial
> system of feet, inches, etc., is based on human dimensions and the linear
> measure of the metric system is based on the dimensions of the earth
> (originally), so it has less direct bearing on human everyday use. It
would
> have been nice, I think, if the metric system had used the foot (or some
> similar unit, perhaps a third or a half of the present meter) as the basis
> unit and THEN used powers of ten to derive other units from it.
>
> As for the other units, like gallons vs. liters, I don't think there would
> be any disadvantage to the metric system in these, as long as we don't
have
> to pay the same for a liter of gas as we now do for a gallon, like you
> Europeans ;-)
>
> Sean
>
> At 11:40 AM 3/7/02 -0800, you wrote:
> >On Thu, 7 Mar 2002 12:33:45 -0600, Dale Botkin wrote:
> >
> > >On Thu, 7 Mar 2002, Vit wrote:
> > >
> > >> Can somebody tell me if the US is planning to gradually switch to the
> > metric
> > >> system?  I mean, it must be pretty confusing for the scientists at
NASA
> to
> > >> use both systems.
> > >
> > >Yes, from school I do remember we are plannning to switch to the metric
> > >system.  I believe we're supposed to be done some time in the late
> > >1970s...
> > >
> >
> >Yep, we're inching toward it but we've got miles to go. :=)
> >
> >
> >Regards, Bob
> >
> >--
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